Air-cooling device



June 1 1926. Q

J. R. BRIDGE AIR COOLING DEVICE Filed Sept. 13, 1925 In Vania)" James Rfimde-e.

Patented June 1, 1926.

warren STATES JAMES RJBRIDGE, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

AIR-COOLING DEVICE.

Application filed September My invention ,is an air cooling device which may also be utilized to moisten the air and be applied to industrial operations requiring cool and moistened air or for ven-. tilation purposes in a dwelling house or building.

An object of my invention is to spread a stream of water over a. plate or thelike, having a series of small foraminations and to allow the water to drip through an air chamber which has a series of passages forcing the air to follow a long path through the air chamber in a zig zag fashion, the air being subjected to the dripping water in its passage through the chamber. The bottom of the chamber is provided with a water receptacle where the water may accumulate and pass to a pump to be circulated again.

Another feature of my invention is the mounting of an electric motor operating two shafts on opposite sides thereof, one of which drives a centrifugal water pump for circulating the water and the other comprises a centrifugal air pump for drawing air under suction through the air chamber.

My invention will be more readily understood from the following description and drawings, in which;

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my air cooling device, giving an exterior view of the air chamber with the moistener tank forming a closure and with an electric motor operating the pumps for the water and the air.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line 22 of Fig. 3 in the direction of the arrows, illustrating the internal zig zag path for the air in the air chamber and the connection of the air ducts and pumping mechanism as sociated therewith.

Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, it will be understood that my air chamber is illustrated on a relatively small scale compared to the size of the pumps and may be of any size desired to give the proper cooling to the air with sufiicient inoistening thereof and to pump the required amount of water and air.

In my invention I utilize a box-like cooler structure 1, which is provided with four sides, 2, 3, a and 5 and with a base 6 which is shown in Fig. 3 as being supported on blocks 7 above the floor 8. A plate or 18, 1925. Serial No. 57,133.

deck 9 encloses the open top and is pro vided with a plurality of small foraminations 10.

v The cooling structure encloses an air chamber ll'which has a plurality of partitions 12 with openings 13 at their ends fornr iug a zig zag path from the air inlet to the duct 1a to the air exhaust opening 15. The bottom of the cooler is made water tight and forms a water receptacle 16. The partitions 12 extend upwardly in the contact with the deck 9 but are spaced from the base 6 as indicated by-the position 17 of their lower edges.

The water and air circulating mechanism is constructed as follows: 7

Aneleetric motor 20 is secured to the floor and has a pair of shafts 21 and 22 extending in alinement on opposite sides of the motor. The shaft'21 is illustrated as'connected to a centrifugal water pump 23 having a water inlet 24: connected directly to the end wall 3 of the cooler and drawing water from the water receptacle 16. The discharge pipe'25 from the water pump has a nozzle 26 positioned above the deck 9 and adapted to spray the water over the deck. In order to spread the water properly over the deck, it is desirable to leave the section 27 immediately adjacent the discharge of the nozzle without any perforations or with only small openings. The air after passing through the air chamber is drawn into a suction pipe 28 which is connected to the air exhaust opening 15. This pipe leads to a centrifugal air pump 29 which is shown with a discharge pipe 30, the pump being driven by the shaft 22.

The operation of my air cooling device is substantially as follows:

A certain amount of water is filled into the water receptacle 16 and when the motor is started the water is pumped out of the receptacle and discharges at the nozzle 26 over the foraminated deck 9. This spreads the water into a thick film, allowing it to trickle through the apertures in the deck and descend in the form of small drops or more as a mist through the air chamber 11- The air is circulated by the pump 29 which draws fresh air into the air chamber through the air inlet duct 14, this air being circulated through the zig zag passages and by means of the air exhaust opening, the suction 28, the pump or blower 29 and the discharge pipe 30 to the place where the air is required.

When it is desired to moisten the air to a considerable extent, the valve 31 on the inlet duct 1% may be partially closed which will cause the air to be sucked downwardly through the apertures in the deck 9. This will "force a more rapid flow of the water and bring the air and water into more intimate contact whereby the dry. air will take up more moisture. The amount o1 moisture taken up by the air will depend upon the humidity and temperature of the entering air and on the intimate contact of the minute drops of water and the air flowing through the zig zag passages of the air chamber.

The amount of water pumped may be regulated by the valve 32 on the water inlet pipe 2% leading to the pump 23. In order to till the water receptacle and to replenish the water taken up by the air, a filling pipe 33 having a float valve 3st is positioned through one side of the cooler and discharges into the water receptacle, which has a drain cook 35.

My invention may be considerably modified in general structure and in details to adapt it for particular uses, either industrially or for domestic purposes in cooling dwellings or for the ventilation of large buildings. The various changes required will be Within the scope of my invention as defined in the claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. An air cooling device comprising in combination a rectangular box-like cooler structure having side walls, a base and a perforated deck, a series of partitions depending from the deck having an open space above the base forming a water receptacle, the partitions being connected to opposite endsto form a zig zag air chamber, an air inlet at one end of the cooling structure, an air outlet at the other end, an inlet water pipe having means to maintain a constant level of water in the water receptacle, an electric motor, a water pump connected to the water receptacle having a discharge pipe positioned to discharge Water on the deck and an air pump connected to the air outlet said electric motor operating the water and air pumps.

2. An air cooling device as claimed in claim 1, having in addition an air valve on the air inlet adapted to restrict the air drawn thcrethrough and thereby cause a suction of air through the perforations in the deck.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

' JAMES R. BRIDGE. 

